Alright, let's talk about how I ended up with this beauty. My journey to owning a PRS SE Custom 24 "Floyd" is a saga fueled by impulse and envy. It all started with an epiphany that hit me right after the Linkin Park concert. Seeing those PRS guitars on stage, combined with the chatter about the new Herman Li signature PRS Chleo release and the legendary quality of PRS guitars, made the decision for me.
You know how it is. You see professional dudes playing stunning guitars, and suddenly your perfectly adequate axe looks like a slightly used spatula. The internet kept whispering sweet nothings about PRS quality, and suddenly, I needed one like a raccoon needs trash.
My brain started playing games. Should I drive to Danville Music and accidentally drop a fat stack on a US-made S2 or Core model? Maybe the fancy Chleo SE or the Mark Holcomb SE? Nah. My wallet let out a small, pathetic whimper. So, I did the sensible thing: I bought the most affordable version of the iconic Custom 24 that had one thing my collection sorely lacked—a Floyd Rose. Because, let's be honest, you haven't truly lived until you've yanked your strings until they weep.
Box Opening Bliss
When this beauty landed on my doorstep, I approached the box like it was a fragile artifact from the Jurassic period. I sliced the tape, pulled her out, and... perfection.
I'm talking about the best fret work I've ever seen and this is an SE model, meaning it wasn't made in the US! The frets were so well-polished, so smoothly sanded, they felt like glass. No fret-sprout, no sharp edges, just pure, buttery goodness. Even the glue-in neck joint is seamless.
And the bird inlays? Gorgeous! They're like little migrating treasures guiding your fingers. (Though, a quick peek at the 24th fret one makes me think one of the birds flew into a wall and became a vaguely-shaped blob) And the included gig bag, it’s so well-padded, I almost slept in it instead of my bed.
Aesthetically Stunning
Okay, can we talk about the visuals? This guitar is outrageously gorgeous. If this guitar was a person, it would be illegally attractive. The flame maple top is just stunning. It looks deep, three-dimensional, and perfect. It makes me feel like I should be playing on a mountain top, casting spells with pinch harmonics. I catch myself just staring at it, making weird "ooh-aah" noises, which is definitely a sign of true love.
Diving Headfirst into the Floyd Rose
Now for the main event: the Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo. Full disclosure, I'm a hard-tail guy—I like my strings firmly affixed and my tuning stable enough to survive an earthquake. But the need for whammy bar shenanigans was too strong.
I haven't personally owned a Floyd Rose Original (the German one), but I can confidently tell you the 1000 is a vast improvement over the branded Floyd Rose Special models. I went full Steve Vai, doing crazy, aggressive dive bombs, and guess what? It stayed in tune. Magic!
Maintenance is suddenly a whole extra chore. And if you're a bend-a-holic and care about micro-tuning perfection while bending, you might want to shell out for a stabilizer. But for the price, the 1000 is an absolute rock star.
Pickups: The Secret Sauce of Versatility
I was genuinely worried about the 85/15s pickups. They use Alnico magnets, and my brain is permanently wired to believe that if it's not a screaming, ceramic magnet, it's not "metal enough." I was ready for a disappointment.
Instead, I got clarity. Oh my god, the clarity! Playing heavier songs, these things sing without getting that typical muddy-bottom end I was used to. It's like switching from a blurry webcam to 4K resolution. This is probably why even guys like Mark Holcomb are moving towards Alnico in their newer bridge pickups—you just need to bump the gain up a tiny bit more on the amp, and suddenly you have a monster tone that isn't afraid of complex chords.
And for the clean tone? Perfection. They're articulate and chimey. Plus, the coil split is surprisingly effective! Some folks say it's not snappy enough for a typical single-coil sound, but to my ears, it gets close enough to fool your bandmates.
Final Verdict
The PRS SE Custom 24 "Floyd" is, without a doubt, a fantastic guitar. It's a gorgeous, well-built instrument that shatters expectations for its price point. It looks like a million bucks, sounds versatile enough for any genre, and finally lets me do those ridiculous whammy-bar squeals I've always dreamed of.
10/10—Would recommend.
P.S. If you hate maintaining a Floyd Rose, just grab a regular Custom 24 SE and skip the extra step!
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